"I am, after all, a brilliant strategist. Manipulating every piece as I go, not to guarantee a specific outcome, but to guarantee whatever outcome occurs will be advantageous. That fool will be ready for a last minute triumphant victory, but as a brilliant strategist I of course know that it's in the moment you believe you're about to win that you're most vulnerable to failure. "

My henchmen looked at me, clearly unimpressed.

"Ok boss, but what if the hero just....ya know.....defuses it early?"

"Nonsense! He will figure it out how to diffuse it early, certainly, but that pompous ass would never allow himself to miss an opportunity for needless dramatic effect!"

"Whatever you say boss."

They mumbled disappointed murmurs under their breath as they hurriedly finished arming the bomb and setting up the camera for me to livestream my evil machinations, and the hero's failure of course, to the entire city. They'll see. I am, after all, a brilliant strategist. That dope in tights will never win this time!

They get the stream set up and I notice the camera's red light turn on.

"Aha! Now watch and tremble as I destroy your pathetic city capitol building, fools!"

Suddenly that lame hero shows up to foil my plans...a bit too quickly. Strange. Was he tipped off somehow?

"...And there's nothing this fool of a hero can do to save it or you! Mwahahaha"

The hero raised an eyebrow and punched me once, flinging me across the room before rushing up to the bomb with the very obvious, and very incorrect timer.

"Was the evil laugh really necessary? Seems a bit cliche. Though I guess you do like the classics, like a bomb with an obvious timer on it."

He took the bait!

"Of course I have to do the evil laugh! You can't be a proper evil-doer without the evil laugh: it's about having standards!"

Just keep him distracted for a few more moments and-

Suddenly the timer begins sparking, and the display sputters out until the timer turns off entirely, with a plume of smoke rising from the malfunctioned bomb.

"You may have a bombastic presence, but this plan's a dud."

He looks into the camera with that same smug look I've come to hate.

"Eh, what can I say? Bomb making was never my specialty."

"HA, ya got that right!"

"I'm no bomb maker, but I am, after all, a brilliant strategist!"

I do it. My back up plan. I didn't want to do it in so simple a manner, but I do it. Always have a plan B. I pull out my gun and shoot the hero in the back before blacking out, only to wake up days later to see on the news that my gun apparently jammed and the hero saved everyone. Damnit. Next time.